Fang Zei said:

...personal canon is the only one that should ultimately matter.
If you liked a story more than the official one that contradicts it, so what?

Exactly.

I'm disappointed to see Disney follow in the footsteps of Lucas and arrogantly decide they can tell people what they are allowed to follow and enjoy, or at least attempt to.

Even stranger is that there are fans who will let Disney make that decision for them. I've taken a glance around the nerdosphere since the news release and there are plenty of fans who are put out or upset that the stories they love aren't official anymore.

I can't make sense of someone letting other people make that decision for them. All of this is make believe. Disney can re-release the novels under whatever label they want, for whatever reason they want. In the past 35 years, there are 295 books written by 79 authors. They are a solid part of this franchise.

Same as Lucas and his "levels" of canon. He let authors revive his franchise, and then proceed to keep it alive. He then has the nerve to think he can tell them (as well as their fans) what level of real the make believe was. Even more arrogant, that was after he'd used some of it in his films.

Following Disney's news I have much less hope for the sequels being anything I'll embrace and follow, but I'll see the first one. I respect and admire a lot of Abrams' work, particularly Star Trek. He may make a solid, respected film.

I wasted eight bucks on one of Lucas' marketing cartoons - and that was after I'd already lost all respect for him. Considering Abrams has made three films I'm very fond of (and own), it will be nowhere near the roll of dice Phantom was.